What does بالعكس (bi-l-ʿaks) mean?

Literally 'by the reverse' — i.e. 'on the contrary' or 'vice versa,' built from the same root as عَكَسَ.

عَكَسَ to reverse in Arabic

عَكَسَ is how you say “to reverse” in Arabic.

Root ع ك س ʿ-k-s. verb (form I). ʿakasa.

Arabic

English

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Meaning of to reverse in Arabic

to reverse something, putting its last part first and first part last
to invert or transpose the order of words in speech
to reflect, as a mirror reflects an image an extension of the reversal sense, since the image in a mirror is reversed
to tie a camel's head or foreleg backward to restrain it a specific pastoral/camel-handling usage

Example sentence

فَإذْ عَكَسْتَ الْحَالَ

So when you reverse the state,

عَكَسْتَ you reverse

Past-tense verb 'reversed, inverted', 'you' form (the '-ta' = you).

From Resisting Temptation

The English is machine-translated.

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How it is used

The common phrase بِٱلْعَكْسِ (bi-l-ʿaks), 'on the contrary, vice versa,' comes straight from this root's core sense of reversal. Classical usage also covers technical, non-figurative senses, such as restraining a camel by tying its head or leg backward.

Words from the same root

عَكْسٌ the reverse, the opposite; the contrary
انعكس to become reversed; to be reflected
مَعْكُوسٌ reversed, inverted, upside down
عكّس to say the opposite of what is meant
مُعَاكَسَةٌ mutual opposition, contending against

More example sentences

يَجِبُ تقديمُ مسحِ الوجهِ على مسحِ اليدين؛ فلو عَكَسَ ناسيًا لم يصحّ على المذهب

The wiping of the face must precede the wiping of the hands; if reversed inadvertently, it is not valid according to the school of thought.

عَكَسَ he reversed

'he reversed [the order],' the case-verb under 'if' — did the hands before the face. The past form after this kind of 'if' reads as a supposition; the result (invalid) comes after.

From The Practice of Earth Cleansing

Common questions

How do you say "to reverse" in Arabic?: ʿakasa (عَكَسَ).
What does بالعكس (bi-l-ʿaks) mean?: Literally 'by the reverse' — i.e. 'on the contrary' or 'vice versa,' built from the same root as عَكَسَ.

Related words

Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).